Let’s give this one more try.
I know I know. It’s been three years since I last did one of these. Before becoming a parent really threw a curveball for my plans with this blog. Now I have a work from home hybrid job, a kid to raise, money to save, and looking for a second income to make daycare payments. And these blog entries used to do good views for me back then. So we are going to give this one more shot.
With one caveat. I’m going to do much better and saving most of my in depth analysis for year end lists. These rankings were mostly made to be short glances into where the music industry is right now and that’s what this is going to be. Brief glances into the top twenty hits in the country right now.
And I sure did pick a good time because the huge hits of 2025 right now are 90% still from 2024. Yeah it feels like the music industry is still stuck in last year and while I don’t fully blame them since 2024 is one of the best and biggest music years of my lifetime. But I also want to note that with the world being in absolute chaos right now in the US especially with inflation, tariffs, and bizarre decision after bizarre decision from our felon president; I feel like music is practically the only good thing we got going.
So while we wait for the huge 2025 based smashes to arrive, let’s take a look at
MARCH 2025 BILLBOARD TOP 20 RANKED
THE TERRIBLE TIER:
“I’m The Problem” - Morgan Wallen
So just like with the last few times I did this, I’m not actually ranking these songs from worst to best. But since this is the only song in this tier, its blatantly obvious. This is definitely the worst song in the top twenty by a lot.
The Morgan Wallen and Drake comparisons have taken a new turn with this upcoming album cycle as Morgan Wallen also now seems to have moved on from the sadboy shtick into just this nasty turn into being ugly towards women. Dude, nobody wants to hear that. Especially from someone who is ABUNDANTLY the problem with his relationships. You drink too much. You manipulate women. And you take no accountability for your actions.
Not helping matters is this butt ugly production. It isn’t that trap country stuff he normally does, but it just sounds like literal ass. I could see this working for someone who has a history of making this sort of music, but not for easily one of the most unlikeable guys in music right now. Piss off....and sing about a second drink for the love of Christ-
THE BAD TIER:
“Love Somebody” - Morgan Wallen
Haha you guys thought I was done with Morgan Wallen. He’s basically the only sure fire new music of 2025. Granted this one came out in the fall of last year, but I digress. Dude isn’t beating the Maroon 5 comparisons with this one. This avoids the terrible tier because it has literally one good idea with those Spanish guitars. Which that’s not something I can say I rarely hear in country songs. Otherwise this is just absolutely nothing. Absolutely soulless radio white noise.
“Lose Control” - Teddy Swims
Of all the songs to stick around from 2024, this is the song that feels most fraudulent to me. And it’s not because I have never liked this song. It is too boring and too basic and despite charting for over 80 weeks at this point, I have still yet to finish it all in one sitting. I literally do not see this song on any hit streaming playlists anymore. And then it hit me. Warner doesn’t have any other artists on their record label in the top twenty right now outside of Teddy and Benson Boone. And both somehow still get 15-20 million streams per week according to Talk of the Charts. PAYOLA!
I’ll give the Benson Boone song this. At least that Grammys performance was buzz worthy. I don’t see anyone and I mean anyone still talking about Teddy Swims now or even last year. Who is he? Why does he swim? Do people even call him Teddy? And how is this still in the top ten? Completely stumped on this man and this song; which is about three months away from holding the longevity record on the Hot 100. Fuck off.
“That’s So True” - Gracie Abrams
Why does she do that valley girl singing voice through so much of this song? Absolutely irritating. Ugh….say what you want about Taylor Swift; who is quite clearly a major influence for her career from opening for her on The Eras Tour to having Aaron Dessner produce and write some of that last album of hers. But at least she fully commits to her aesthetics. This whole OMG vibe just feels so phony and fake and every time she sings like she does on that song just makes me want the old Taylor to come to the phone right now. It doesn’t bother me that Gracie is a nepo baby hell even an industry plant…but plant better.
And just so I don’t sound like a total hater, “21” is a legitimately great song. What happened to THAT Gracie Abrams compared to the beta to Taylor’s overpowering alpha that we have here?
“Timeless” - The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
I actually am indecisive as to whether this should be in the mediocre tier and not the bad tier. Because my god did Pharrell and Mike Dean just make magic with this production. I like it an awful lot. So consider this just a slight notch below mediocre for that reason alone because my god everything else on this song is utter dogshit.
Calling your song timeless and referring to how your fame and legacy are forever is an absolute farce when you have to beg on recent streaming cheat code Playboi Carti to give you your first solo hit in four years. I like both artists separately, but together, they do not gel. Didn’t like them the first time they worked together on “Popular” and don’t like it here either. If you consider yourself timeless, then why are your older songs pre-2020 getting more daily streams than anything off of your recent albums? I think Abel has completely lost the narrative of his career and that is long before The Idol made him look like an absolute loser.
And then there is the elephant in the room. The Weeknd has been on the record for using AI to help develop some of his concert footage and was contemplating it for this album on interviews prior to. Not too longer after this single was released, the original audio footage of this song leaked recently and it made me realize. Playboi Carti’s verse is AI generated. That’s me speculating as they have not confirmed nor denied it. But actually listen to it again. I’m not the only one who thinks this for the record as many people online are saying it is AI after hearing the same test footage.
THE MEDIOCRE TIER:
“Beautiful Things” - Benson Boone
Man, the amount of worst lists this song appeared on. It probably would have appeared on mine up until last summer when I found a version of this song that finally worked at my cousin’s wedding. That is what helped open my eyes into what some people actually see in this song. A man pleading with a higher power whether that be the man upstairs or just fate in general to not take the beautiful things in his life that he has. And you know what, I absolutely understand. I love my life that I’ve made for myself and don’t want to take that for granted.
And you know what, I’ve always liked that rock production. I’m glad that the 2020’s have finally brought the guitar back into prominence and that guitar riff I’m admittedly a sucker. And then Benson Boone opens his mouth and starts singing and…..
….this song doesn’t rise above the mediocre tier for that reason alone. I can appreciate everything else about this song but Benson’s wailing I will just never move pass. Maybe someday I will be able to get past that especially if Benson Boone manages to prove he’s more than a one year wonder. But now? It’s like a mixture of Lewis Capaldi and Lukas Graham.
THE DECENT TIER:
“I Had Some Help” - Post Malone (featuring Morgan Wallen)
For months and months, I would have told you that this should be in the mediocre tier with Benson Boone because yeah these “it’s not me it’s you” songs are just so overdone as of late especially since both of these guys have shared enough baggage to be like “yeah you are the problem…ESPECIALLY the toxic douchebag n word guy”, but my god after all the absolutely miserable music Morgan Wallen is making as of late; shit I’ll take peppy and bouncy Morgan Wallen over the trash we’ve been getting from him.
Thank Louis Bell for that, who is surprisingly very good at making country production? Maybe he’ll be the next Joey Moi with how big this song was last year? And Posty who actually made pretty decent country music with that last album. Yeah 66% of this song good while Morgan is…better than the music he’s made in 2025 at least? My god that next album is going to be miserable when it eventually drops.
THE GOOD TIER:
“Luther” - Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Might as well add the other one here too.
“30 for 30” - SZA & Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar and SZA are the peanut butter and jelly of music. They are just simpatico together. I love the fact that there are two of these in circulation right now…hell “All the Stars” is charting again right outside the top twenty after it was performed at the Super Bowl and people remembered how good these two are together.
I think it’s hilarious that Drake thought SZA was on his side this entire time and was one of his “three rapper friends”. SZA is not a rapper man. And then here we are nearly a year later after that line and Kendrick is like “fuck you loser, she’s with me now.”
Which is better? “All the Stars” triumphs all as that is still one of my favorite songs of 2018 and honestly is one of the best soundtrack singles ever made and that reminder at the Super Bowl at least knocked “Luther” down a tier. I wish “Luther” had a little more energy in that sense, but I prefer it over “30 to 30”. Which just a kind reminder these are both still good songs, but man Kendrick’s verse on “30 to 30” is almost super…Drake-ish? I don’t know what the best word; but I don’t like it nearly as much as he has clearly done a lot better.
But you know what will never get tiring? How much Kendrick trolls Drake and reminds him that he’s much better at making music than he is. Which both songs contain plenty of references to that. And rightfully so, that man can take as many victory laps as he wants for defeating that bastard once and for all-
“Nokia” - Drake
…Drake is still here. I will be honest in saying that I was incredibly curious to see what Drake did next after Kendrick purged his starpower away. I knew he was not going to be the same sure fire chart presence that he once was, but after a year away; were any lessons learned by the guy who once claimed to be bigger than The Beatles?
I would say mostly no. I did not listen to all of that collab album with PARTYNEXTDOOR because even I have standards to not listen to a 25 song Drake album in 2025, but from what I did hear which was like maybe a third of it, it was mostly boring and bad and whatever the hell that Spanish song was. But I did hear two good tracks where Drake went full R&B pop and maybe Drake did take away a lesson or two from Kendrick; who said at one point that he liked Drake the popstar.
Well this and the other good song “Gimme a Hug” are some of the most lively music Drake has made in YEARS. This song in particular is what if you combined ”Hotline Bling”, “Nice For What”, and “In My Feelings” in a blender. It’s a fun little bop that is insanely catchy. I hear it once and it doesn’t leave my head the rest of the day.
By no means do I think Drake is back and if anything, having the entire world call you a pedophile over and over again while you run and cry to the courts; makes you a bigger loser. But I consider myself fair and balanced enough to say that a loser is still capable of making good music when it happens.
THE EXCELLENT TIER:
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish
Okay what the hell was 2024....I mean 2025, that HALF of the songs in this top twenty are ALL excellent????? No wonder things are moving at a snail pace on the charts. Well let's start with the epitome of excellent music always, Billie Eilish. Overplay is admittedly getting to me quite a bit with this one. I predicted this amongst my friends that this was going to be Billie’s most crossover and successful song of all time. Even more so than “bad guy”. And lo and behold here we are nearly a year later with that becoming official.
But I don’t care. I still get chills the moment I hear that high note. There is literally nothing this woman can’t do when it comes to music and I’m very excited to see where she goes from here.
“Espresso” - Sabrina Carpenter
Now here’s an overplayed song that I’m still not sick of. Which is seriously impressive because easily accessible fluff like this normally wears out on me by now. But when you make what is single handedly one of the most quotable pop songs in years with hooks for days; you just continue to
ride off all that goodwill.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - Shaboozey
Lather, rinse, repeat about overplay….yada yada yada, can all this goodwill seriously go towards making his (failed?) follow-up “Good News” a hit? I really am rooting for Shaboozey, but I’m seriously starting to get the vibe that we aren’t going to hear from him anymore once 2025 is all said and done. Please prove me wrong America because my track record tells me otherwise.
“Die With a Smile” - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
…at the rate things are going, this is looking like the early front runner to top the 2025 year end list. I have some seriously mixed thoughts on that since adult contemporary is what is keeping this song from ever falling off and truly going away. Like by the time this year is over, I would not be surprised to see everyone sick of this, myself included. But at the end of the day, these two artists and this song represents an era of me and my love of music criticism like no other. Fuck the haters….and speaking of haters-
“Not Like Us” - Kendrick Lamar
The fact that this hit number one AGAIN for a third spontaneous reign at number one is amazing. I am now actively rooting for this song to randomly top the charts at every opportune chance that Kendrick has to piss on Drake’s grave. And speaking of say Drake-
“Squabble Up” - Kendrick Lamar
One of my best friends told me the day GNX came out that it felt like Kendrick solely made this song in case he wasn’t able to perform “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl. And man, I can’t unsee it…and it I refuse to see it any other way. Completely valid point. This is just basically a victory lap at this point for the newly crowned commercial king of hip hop.
I absolutely understand why this was the one that hit number one. And that was before it even got the music video. This song just had the mainstream sound from the get go with that sample of “When I Hear Music” and the g-funk spin basically makes this a 90s style dance track. Let’s just call a spade a spade. Kendrick is superior to Drake at life.
But do you want to know what my personal favorite track off GNX was?
“TV Off” - Kendrick Lamar (featuring Lefty Gunplay)
Yep. That’s right. The meme song is my favorite from that album. What can I say? This is one of the best memes music has spawned into popularity ever. The beat switch to Kendrick shouting “MUSTARD” is one of my favorite moments of hit music this past calendar year. I rarely ever spend hours upon hours viewing TikToks for damn near anything, but I absolutely spent hours watching every single hilarious meme and even some social media influencers reacting to their first listen of this song. Also kudos to Jack Antonoff for the assist in producing this. Bro shut up those one note productions he kept giving Taylor real quick with this.
“APT” - ROSE & Bruno Mars
I didn’t realize that thinking this song is excellent is considered a ”hot take” because I have a group of Discord friends who love this song as much as I do. But then I’ve been reading the larger scale and this song is generally disliked and the most common complaint is the chorus is annoying. Which I’m not going to pretend that I don’t see why a lot of people find that chorus annoying. I like the chorus, I get why people don’t, but I do.
But even if you don’t like the song because of the chorus….y’all know that there is like two full minutes of the song that is not the chorus, right?
Those verses. That bridge. That new wave production. Everything about this song is just so much fun. I absolutely miss when pop music was these levels of fun.
But if you want to talk about a pop song that truly represents how I’m feeling this year.
“Messy” - Lola Young
I mean holy shit where did this rise to the top twenty come from? From getting credited doing barely recognizable background vocals on a sleeper hit from Tyler the Creator’s recent album to charting higher than that ever did. Lola Young’s rise has been one of the few 2025 pop bright spots so far this year.
As for this song, let’s just say that as someone who also is very hyper critical of themselves and struggling to find my own inner balance of loving and hating myself….yeah this fucking hits it out of the park. If any of these songs will continue to grow on me throughout the year, I’d hedge my bets on this one.
And saving the best for last....oh don't act surprised.
“Pink Pony Club” - Chappell Roan
What an absolutely joyful surprise. I thought for sure this song was going to be "stuck in between years" when I said that this was better than my best song of 2024. I thought I was never going to talk about this song at any length on my blog ever.
And because this is going to make the 2025 year end list after all and my loyal readers are indeed correct that this is a lock for my best hit of 2025 at this rate dethroning the best hit song of 2024…..good luck babe to the rest of the playing field.
And that was this week's top twenty for ya. So for as much complaining as I am doing about how ready I am for the 2024 music to make way for the new hits of 2025, but if 2025 music is not going to deliver, then that's fine because 2024 is probably one of the best years for music that I will EVER cover and the good stuff was truly that good. What did you all think of bringing the top twenty rankings back? Should I keep doing these? I'll let you all be the judge of that.
Also, as I briefly said in the intro, I'm back to writing for this blog more frequently again as I need money and most of these blog entries go to my Fiverr account anyway for people to buy; then might as well stick to the original source as well. I do have a few ideas in mind as well as my overdue Best Films of 2024 list in the works, so stay tuned for more frequent updates than just the year end lists. But until then, thank you all for reading!
